James Kitchen, the founder of the National School Art Collective, is pioneering a new way to turn school hallways into museum galleries by helping schools establish art collections and challenging perceptions of both artists and students.

BHM: What inspired you to start the National School Art Collective?

JK: I started teaching art in 1997 in Ohio. After getting married in 2000 my wife and I decided to move to Texas to start our life together. As a teacher, I was always surrounded by nonprofits that were affiliated with education or the school where I was working. Many of them were local charities. The student organizations I sponsored helped support the charities either through fundraising or volunteering.

In 2006, I was asked to be on the planning committee for The WWAF (Woodland Waterways Arts Festival) in Texas. At the time, the arts festival had only been around for a year. I represented the school district I was employed in as an art teacher. It was the first nonprofit that I actively worked with and I loved it. That experience became the catalyst that led me to develop a small nonprofit that helped support my school's art program as well other groups in the community.

In the spring of 2010, I was approached about the idea of starting a student selected and owned professional art collection in the school. Together with the principal and a member of the community, we decided to move forward with putting into motion and developing what is now The Woodlands High School Art Trust. Now in it's 6th year of existence, the nonprofit and has become extremely successful.

BHM: How does the National School Art Collective benefit schools and students?

JK: The National School Art Collective's goal is to develop student selected & student owned professional art collections in schools nationwide. We are approaching funding through a variety of avenues that include donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, government entities, as well as fundraising events throughout the country. We are also exploring progressive new opportunities to promote sustainability that are surfacing through the recycling industry.

Our organization will affect people all over the country so there are many funding possibilities that we haven't even begun to be able to explore. We are also beginning to explore collaborations with student art organizations at the collegiate level.

I believe some of the great benefits the NSAC provides will be seen over a period of time and offer an investment in timelessness. By providing the resources for schools to develop their own professional art collections we are nurturing future patrons of the arts. Every student that attends a school with an art collection will be exposed to professional art firsthand which can help shape their young ambitions. Alumni of the schools are also highly encouraged to remain as custodians of the art that have inspired them and will inspire future generations, through cash or in-kind donations as well as volunteering when needed.

In some parts of the country, the collection may be the closest thing their community has to an art museum. Some students will take an even more active role. These students will help with many aspects of promoting and curating the collection. By being on a "student art collective committee", they will have opportunities to work with a variety of people and organizations that can offer real-life mentorship experience and enhanced training in organizational leadership that will be valuable to their future education and careers.

BHM: How does the National School Art Collective benefit artists?

JK: Professional artists are often asked to donate pieces of art to charities for free. That’s not what we are asking for. We want to honor artists who support our program and the schools interested in their art by promoting them and paying them for their work.

It’s important for us to treat all artists like professional artists and all student collectors like professional collectors. We hope that future generations or artists and collectors alike will be affected in a way that compels them to continue to value and support the arts in society. A commitment to supporting local art collections is a commitment to protecting our history and the things in life that we value most.

Every student in the school will be making critical decisions about what is in the collection by casting their vote each year. It is a wonderful opportunity to engage students in the communities they live in as well as with artists nearby and afar. Artists in each state will have opportunities to share their art through the process and engage in dialogue with the student curators. Not to mention, they get exposure to hundreds of students, staff and parents who walk through those halls each day.

BHM: How do you raise awareness and build engagement?

JK: I like to think that most people believe that engaging in the arts is a positive and important part of developing one's life. The benefits it provides to children and adults alike are constantly being displayed. Some of the biggest challenges for educators is to find the time and resources to provide opportunities for their students to truly engage in the arts. Especially in the era of smartphones and social media, actual engagement is a challenge and requires that much more effort and commitment.

The NSAC is dedicated to helping schools establish an art acquisition program that allows every student in the school to engage in the arts. We will plant the "seeds of opportunity" and nurture them for the generations of students attending each school.

In the Spring of 2016, we plan to hold another fundraiser in New York City which may open the doors for us to expand into new schools this year. Please contact us at info@nationalschoolartcollective.org if you are interested in supporting the NSAC or would like to start an art collection in your school. Please watch the video below for more insight into our wonderful program.